Meet Mavis Wanczyk: Top Facts About $758.7 Million Powerball Winner

Powerball fans have not had to wait long to find out about the winner of Wednesday’s $758.7 million jackpot. Just a few hours after it was revealed that someone in Massachusetts had won the largest single-ticket prize in lottery history, Mavis Wanczyk came forward to make herself known to officials. But who is Mavis and what does she plan to do with her money?

Who is Mavis Wanczyk?

A 53-year-old with two children, Mavis Wanczyk was born in Southbridge, Massachusetts. She moved to Springfield when she was 14, graduated from Springfield Technical Community College and now lives in Chicopee. She has worked in patient care at Springfield’s Mercy Medical Center for the past 32 years and likes to go by the name Mave.

How did she pick her numbers?

Accompanied by her mother and sisters at her press conference on Thursday, Mave told reporters how she came to choose the winning numbers. “My numbers are kind of basically random,” she said. “Like maybe birthdays, maybe one from here, one from there, I just, whatever could work. There’s a thing between me and my mom and my stepfather, and a friend, we all go out to dinner on Friday night and we play Keno and our number is 4.” She purchased her ticket at around 2.30pm on Wednesday at the Pride Station & Store on Montgomery Street in Chicopee.

How did she find out she’d won?

Mave found out about her big win on Wednesday evening after a shift at the hospital, during a chat with her firefighter friend Rob. She recalled saying to him: “It’s never going to be me, it’s just a pipe dream I’ve always had. And he’s reading these numbers and I pull mine out and I go ‘hey, I have that …’ and he goes ‘let me see that ticket,’ he goes, ‘you just won.'” Mave was so shocked that she says Rob followed her home to make sure she got there safely.

Has she chosen the cash or annuity?

Mave had the choice of taking the full jackpot amount in 30 annual instalments or a one-off cash payment, and has opted for the lump sum. The cash value was $480.5 million, but after taxes it is estimated that she will receive about $336 million.

What will she do now?

Mave has already made one big decision about her future, having instantly quit her job. Smiling and laughing, she told the press: “I’ve called them and told them I won’t be coming back.” She did not reveal much about her plans for the money as she is still coming to terms with the news, but she did say that her celebrations would be very low-key. “I’m going to go hide in my bed,” she joked.

What about the store which sold the ticket?

As the store which sold the winning ticket, the Pride Station & Store in Chicopee will receive a $50,000 bonus. The owner of the store, Bob Bolduc, has already pledged to give the money to charities which help children, foster children and education. He said: “I didn’t have anything to do with it, it’s just a matter of luck. Somebody had to win and it just happened to be our chain.”